Goldfinger (1964, UK)

This movie was so stupid but it was my favorite one so far! I mean, the superspy has to stop a fat German guy who is a bit crazy, kills women by dipping them in gold, and plans to break into Fort Knox! (Not to mention Oddjob, his nutso Korean henchman who can kill people with a fling of his razor-sharp bowler hat!) A fellow movie buff said that if I thought that Dr. No was bad I would hate this one, but somehow its common elements (corny villain in a corny lair, mostly) were terrible in Dr. No but good here.

The locations weren't so exciting here. Switzerland was nice, but then it was Florida, Baltimore, and Kentucky. I guess that's exotic to a posh guy from Britain. Still, the model of Fort Knox was pretty realistic looking, which was cool.

An interesting aspect of this one was Pussy Galore and her Flying Circus. First, Honor Blackman is still the oldest Bond girl ever cast, and yet I thought she was sexier than many I've seen. It might have been her voice. Second, her female pilots are very girl power. Sure, they wear stupid sexy outfits, but they're pilots. That's pretty impressive for 1964. (I gather in the book they were acrobats and cat burglars, so this was a definite upgrade.) I thought that her manner, crew of self-reliant ladies, and initial disinterest in Bond all subtly suggested lesbianism, but quickly dismissed it from my mind. However, turns out the Pussy Galore of the book actually was gay. Now that really is risky for the 1960s, though it certainly explains the name (and why she doesn't fling herself at Bond like a bimbo). So far she's my favorite Bond girl because she's so self-possessed, self-assured, and self-aware. (Of course plot-wise I still love Vesper Lynd, but she's not exactly her own woman.)

So the verdict here is ridiculous but good!

Rating: 4.0

Magic Mike (2012, U.S.)

Yes, I saw this movie. In the theater, no less. But just to be clear, it was my mom's idea, not mine! (And yes, I saw a male stripper movie with my mother. Fun times!) I think the theater experience really added to this one, because I was in a sold out crowd with at least 99% women. I'm not even sure there was one man in the audience. When we left the theater, the three employees waiting to clean up were all young-ish men, and they all had this sweet but knowing grin on their faces. Then when we were in line for the restroom afterwards, the lady in front of me turned around and said, "I sure hope my husband's awake when I get home!" How could you not like a movie with an experience like that?

Really, I did enjoy this movie, and not just for the obvious reasons. There actually was a plot. Mike wants to make enough money (or get a loan from uncooperative banks) to start his own custom furniture business, but when he takes a new guy under his wing, his dreams get farther and farther away. He repeatedly tells people that he is not his job. However, while we do learn a lot about his job and the life that goes with it, I have to say that I was disappointed that we don't learn more about his coworkers. I really like Joe Manganiello and Matt Bomer, but they and the others were hardly more than background scenery.

Still, Channing Tatum would have stolen the show no matter what. (Forget Matthew McConaughey... he was sketchy and old-looking, though perfect in his role as club owner.) Maybe Tatum isn't the best actor in the world, but it's always so hard to tell. He has this inherent charm that makes you like him. I think it lives in his dimples. Anyway, he is also an incredible dancer, and a lot of his performances were really more hip hop than striptease, but mesmerizing all the same.

This one is really one of a kind, and I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. But the ending kind of ruined it for me. It was way too abrupt, and I didn't like how things ended for Mike or his protégé. When the screen faded to black after the last scene, I thought, "Really?!"

Still, it was pretty good, and I would certainly recommend it to the ladies (and maybe even watch it again myself) to see the magnetic Mr. Tatum dance.

Rating: 3.5

Some Like It Hot (1959, U.S.)

Watching My Week with Marilyn made me realize that I have hardly seen any of Marilyn Monroe's movies. I've seen Monkey Business (an absolutely wonderful Cary Grant/Ginger Rogers flick by Howard Hawks in which she has a very small role) and I've seen The Misfits (Clark Gable's final film based on a story by Monroe's husband Arthur Miller), but neither of those are her best remembered roles at all.

So what can I say about this? What a strange movie for the '50s! We think of that decade as super up-tight, and yet here we have a gender-bending, cross-dressing comedy about musicians and gangsters. I quite enjoyed it, really. I can see the Monroe appeal. That breathy voice when she says, "It's me, Sugar!" Pulling a flask out of her garter. She's just sexy and innocent and completely enthralling. Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis are both hilarious, but they are totally eclipsed by her sun. This movie had all the things you could ask for in a comedy. There were so many funny lines and physical situation comedy, particularly having to do with gender identity issues. My biggest complaint is that I didn't like which man she picked. Still, you can't have everything and it was funny funny!

Rating: 4.0